Misty Fiords National Monument was created December 1, 1978, and covers 2,294,343 acres of Tongass National Forest in the panhandle of southeast Alaska. This unique fjord land is accessed only by water and air and crisscrossed with hundreds of swift-running streams, rivers and waterfalls, where five species of salmon follow unseen trails to the unspoiled waters of their birth. It was formed within the past 5 million years by volcanic activity, evidenced by a lava flow high above Punchbowl Cove, and then by glaciers carving fjords and inlets out of its granite mountains.The walls of its valleys are near vertical and often rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level and drop 1,000 feet below it. Once populated by thriving Tlingit villages, it was first visited by Europeans in 1793 when George Vancouver sailed through the Behm Canal, the prominent sea-filled trough along the monument’s western margin that separates it from Revillagigedo Island.  It was Vancouver who “discovered” New Eddystone Rock, a 237 foot tall column of basalt in the middle of Behm Canal. Small glaciers occupy high areas of the northeast part of the monument and peaks rise over 6000 feet above sea level. Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar dominate the prolific rainforest vegetation, while brown and black bears roam, mountain goats and deer graze, and whales and salmon navigate the waterways.

Misty Fiords is the meeting place of mist, mountain and sea. Glaciers have carved channels thousands of feet deep through mountains that are thousands of feet high. Countless un-named waterfalls drop from peaks often lost in the clouds into greenstone seas where we cruise in our venerable ship. Seldom visited, especially during the times of our spring and fall trips, this is an area to take in the essence of the tremendous forces that created SE Alaska.

We plan on spending 4 days in Misty Fiords and the remaining three days exploring the areas of Wrangell Narrows and Zimovia Strait. Wrangell Narrows provides a sheltered route for fishing boats, ferries, tugs and barges and private boats traveling the Inside Passage. Zimovia Strait is a less traveled, narrower and more serpentine passage that takes us past ancient Indian village sites. Transiting these iconic Alaskan channels is a rite of passage for all Northwestern navigators.
As with all Pacific Catalyst trips, we will select anchorages that provide solitude as well as opportunities for educational activities such as hiking and kayaking. Both spring and fall trips we are in areas where we have a good chances for bear viewing, seeing migratory birds, humpback and orca whales and to explore in depth the habitats that attract these animals to the region. There is something for everyone here, from the mariner who wants to learn the routes through the area, to the naturalist who seeks to check off some more boxes on their life list or those who find peace and balance in the wilderness, no one will leave disappointed.

Misty Fiords: Northbound Spring
This trip begins in Ketchikan and ends in Petersburg.
Misty Fiords: Southbound Fall.
This trip will begin in Petersburg and be a reversal of the itinerary below.

Misty Fiords suggested itinerary:

Day 1: Depart Ketchikan by 1:15 pm and head south down Tongass Narrows. We will travel only a couple of hours so that we have time to make our first kayak paddle before dinner.

Day 2: We will continue south around Revillagigedo Island, and turn east at its southwestern point. Traveling up the narrowing Behm Canal we will anchor in the most dramatic anchorage in Misty Fiords. Here we will take an easy 2 mile hike up to a lake before moving the boat on to our overnight anchorage in an estuary. This is an area known for high concentrations of Brown Bears. We will explore the estuary, and look for bears from the safety of our kayaks.

Day 3: Today we continue to keep Revillagigedo on our port side as we explore the amazing wilderness that comprises Misty Fjords. Towering cliffs, waterfalls so high that they are reduced to a mist before they reach the sea, and an arm of the ocean that is hundreds of feet deep all create  vistas that are often far beyond description. Our evening anchorage offers an opportunity to paddle along a rocky shore and explore a scattering of small islets.

Day 4: Today we complete our circumnavigation of Revillagigedo Island, and enter the open waters of Clarence Strait. This strait is open to the SW, and wind and currents can create rough seas which deserve our respect. Fortunately we only have a few miles to go before we reach a quintessential Alaskan village, where a handful of hand-built cabins and lodges surround a deep and well protected cove. We will explore the connected coves by kayak, and take a short stroll along the paths and boardwalks that makeup the settlements “road system”.

Day 5: An early start will take us back into Clarence Strait for only about a mile before we turn east and enter Ernest Sound. After crossing the Sound we will head south toward Anan Creek, home of a beautiful bear observatory operated by the US Forest Service. Anan Creek is a gathering place for Black Bears during the fall salmon returns, but we will stop long enough to take a walk along the boardwalk to experience a classic black bear habitat. From Anan we will run a few miles and anchor in the snug cove at the southern entrance to Zimovia Strait. This entire area was home to a large number of Indigenous Peoples, and ancient village sites are located throughout. A kayak paddle will conclude the day’s activities.

Day 6: We leave our snug cove and enter the narrow channel of Zimovia Strait. This winding waterway is well off the usual routes for most vessels transiting the Inside Passage, and we will see why as we wind through reefs and islands. Bright white sand beaches and alder groves hint at old village sites as we run north. Entering more open waters upon exiting Zimovia we zig-zag through larger islands, sites of mines and logging operations, until we anchor for the evening in a quiet cove at the the southern terminus of Wrangell Narrows, one of the most famous passages in SE Alaska. Catching the correct current to go through the Narrows is critical, so we may run past our cove in order to catch the tides. No matter what, there will be a kayak paddle at the end of the days run, and a wonderful evening to share our experiences over dinner and wine.

Day 7: This morning we conclude our voyage in Petersburg, Alaska’s Little Norway. Wrangell Narrows is a navigator’s puzzle set, and watching the navigation markers resolve themselves into a safe passage from the pilothouse is an interesting way to pass the morning. We will moor in Petersburg by 10am, enabling those who need to fly today to catch the morning Alaska Airlines flight.

Estimated total miles: 265

2010
Ketchikan to Petersburg  May 6 – 12, 2010  Cost: $3150 to $3600 per person (DO), $30,600 WB   DISCOUNTED PRICING
Petersburg to Ketchikan  August 15 -21, 2010  Cost: $3850 to $4400 per person (DO), $38,000 WB

( see updated schedule for availability or call )